The Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard The Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and AsiaEarly Warning System for Africa and Asia

Maldives Secretariat for the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES)

Ali ShareefDeputy Director General,

Maldives Meteorological Service

MARCH 2005 (7) JULY 2006 (10) JUNE 2007 (22) SEP 2008 (26)DEC 2006 (13)

Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES)

A regional cooperation of 26 countries in Africa and Asia on multi-hazard early warning.

RIMES aims to cater to differential needs and demands of member states in addressing gaps in the end-to-end multi-hazard early warning system.

RIMESRIMES

Formally established on 30 April 2009, with the signing of an international Cooperation Agreement, by Cambodia, Comoros, Lao PDR, Maldives, and Seychelles

21 other countries are in various stages of Agreement consideration and approval for signing

Member States financially contribute upon joining

RIMES GovernanceRIMES Governance

Council Composed of heads of National Hydro-Meteorological Services and

national scientific and technical agencies generating multi-hazard early warning information

Empowered to make policy decisions concerning regional early warning arrangements

Secretariat Carries out the decisions and tasks assigned by the Council

Supports the Program Unit in the management of the regional early warning facility

Maldives is the current RIMES Secretariat

RIMES Governance RIMES Governance cont.cont.

Program Unit

Responsible for the day-to-day operation and management of

the regional early warning facility

Has financial and administrative autonomy through delegated

powers and the financial and staff regulations approved by the

Council

Co-located with the regional EW facility at the campus of the

Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand

Executive BoardExecutive Board

Implement policies and decisions of the Council for resource mobilization

Formulate an action plan to provide cost-effective services to each Member State

India as Chair; China as Vice-Chair

Comoros, Lao PDR, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, and Thailand (to be confirmed) as Members

ServicesServices

Provision of regional tsunami watchProvision of regional tsunami watch

Capacity building and technology transfer to NMHSs for providing Capacity building and technology transfer to NMHSs for providing localized hydro-meteorological disaster risk informationlocalized hydro-meteorological disaster risk information

Enhancing capacities to respond to early warning information at Enhancing capacities to respond to early warning information at national and local levels for disaster preparedness and national and local levels for disaster preparedness and managementmanagement

Acting as a test-bed to identify promising new, emerging Acting as a test-bed to identify promising new, emerging technologies, and pilot test, and make it operational through technologies, and pilot test, and make it operational through demonstration of tangible benefitsdemonstration of tangible benefits

Capital CostCapital Cost

Capital cost for tsunami information, and capacity building Capital cost for tsunami information, and capacity building of member-countries: USD 4.5 million - UNESCAPof member-countries: USD 4.5 million - UNESCAP

This compares very favourably with the USD 115 million required to This compares very favourably with the USD 115 million required to establish individual tsunami EWS for 23 developing/ least developed establish individual tsunami EWS for 23 developing/ least developed countriescountries

Approximate investment cost of Australia, India, Indonesia, Iran, and Approximate investment cost of Australia, India, Indonesia, Iran, and Malaysia – approx. USD 250 millionMalaysia – approx. USD 250 million

Capital cost for weather and climate information, and Capital cost for weather and climate information, and capacity building of member-countries: USD 1 million - capacity building of member-countries: USD 1 million - DanidaDanida

Recurring CostRecurring Cost

RIMES total annual recurring cost: USD 2.5 million (for RIMES total annual recurring cost: USD 2.5 million (for tsunami and all other hazards) tsunami and all other hazards)

This compares very favourably with the USD 48 million annual This compares very favourably with the USD 48 million annual

recurring costs by individual countries maintaining separate systems recurring costs by individual countries maintaining separate systems

for tsunami alonefor tsunami alone

Ownership by CountriesOwnership by Countries

Member States collectively manage and draw Member States collectively manage and draw services from RIMESservices from RIMES

Member States need not put up their own systemMember States need not put up their own system

Member States need not depend on other Member States need not depend on other tsunami watch providerstsunami watch providers

Maldives received approval of around US$ 375,000 from Maldives received approval of around US$ 375,000 from UNESCAP to undertake activities for sustaining RIMESUNESCAP to undertake activities for sustaining RIMES

UNESCAP is supporting test operations of the regional UNESCAP is supporting test operations of the regional facility until 31 December 2009 to allow facility until 31 December 2009 to allow RIMESRIMES to mobilize to mobilize resources for resources for assuming full responsibility for regional facility assuming full responsibility for regional facility operation by 1 January 2010operation by 1 January 2010

Transition Agreement Transition Agreement (1 August – 31 December 2009)(1 August – 31 December 2009) signed signed between RIMES and ADPC, allowing “RIMES to initiate and between RIMES and ADPC, allowing “RIMES to initiate and complete constitutional, institutional, and financial complete constitutional, institutional, and financial frameworks for RIMES to eventually assume full frameworks for RIMES to eventually assume full responsibilities for the operation and sustainability of the responsibilities for the operation and sustainability of the regional EW facility”regional EW facility”

Financial SustainabilityFinancial Sustainability

A self-reliant RIMES is possible because of:A self-reliant RIMES is possible because of:

Economy of scale and scope, with least recurring cost Economy of scale and scope, with least recurring cost

Integration of all early warning services into one holistic Integration of all early warning services into one holistic systemsystem

System built to address needs and demands of countries System built to address needs and demands of countries with differing capacities and vulnerabilitieswith differing capacities and vulnerabilities

Catalytic investment by UNESCAP for tsunami and capacity Catalytic investment by UNESCAP for tsunami and capacity building subsystemsbuilding subsystems

Critical investment by DANIDA for hydro- meteorological Critical investment by DANIDA for hydro- meteorological subsystem to transform EWS into a multi-hazard end-to-end subsystem to transform EWS into a multi-hazard end-to-end early warning system early warning system

Full ownership by Member StatesFull ownership by Member States

Thank youThank you